Life-saving suit.



M. A. CZERKAS.

LIFE SAVING sun.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24.19M-

Patented May 9,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'62: wizrws' M. A. CZERKAS. LIFE SAVING SUIT.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 24. 1916.

Patented May 9, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 remnant a. c l

- 0F EHIELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LIFESAVIENG SUIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

eme May a. rare.

hpplication filed February 2 1.1916. Serial No. 30,158.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL A. Cz'nRKAs, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Life-Saving Su1ts, of

which the following'is a specification.

' This invention relates to certain new and useful'improvements in life saving suits.

The primary. object of this invention is to provide a suit that may be readily put on and taken off and provided withbuoying means and arranged to maintain its upright position in the water.

A further object of the device is to provide a suit serviceable in case of an emergenoy but which may also be Worn by seamen whenever desired, the same being adapted to completely envelop the wearer and to insure a supporting of the person in an u right floating position in the water in the event of his entering the same from the Vessel upon which he is positioned.

With these general objects in view and others that will appearas the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrating in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughoutthe several views :Figure 1 is a perspective view of the completedevice in its upright position. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof upon line II-II of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view through the upper portion of the device. Fig. 4 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional view through the lower portion of one of the leg members, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view partly in section of one of the closurg retaining means.

' Referring more in detail to the drawings, the device broadly consists of a garment 10 having trouser portions 11, the legs of which terminate in integrally formed boots 24 adapted to receive the feet of the wearer.

A life preser er or buoy 12 is 'circumferentially secured at the belt line of the trousers 11 and is adapted to be inflated with air by means of any usual form of inlet nipple 13, the said buoy, 12 also having a safety outlet valve 14-.

The garment is further provided with arms 15 terminating in mittens 16 for the reception of the hands of the wearer while a head and casing helmet 17 is also provided upon the jacket portion 18 thereof. The said helmet 17 is provided with a front glass 19 for allowing free visual access to the wearer of the garment while a breathing opening 20 is positioned therebeneath having a closure hood 21 hinged to the ment as at 22.

Upright cup members 23 are provided adjacent the boot portions 24 of the trouser legs 11 and are formed substantially encircling the said legs and secured thereto along their front edges 25, the said-cups being closed at their bottoms as at 26.

' Metallic bindings or bails 27 are hinged together at their opposite ends as at 28 and being secured to the adjacent edges of a front opening 29 at the chest portion of the garment, are adapted to open and close substantially after the manner of a satchel closure. These bails 27 are enveloped by the material from which the garment is made, such as rubberized 'fabric, slots being arranged therein. Locking bolts 29 are pivoted within the slots of the lower bail 27 and are adapted to swing within the similar notches of the upper bail while winged set nuts 30 arranged upon the said bolts may be screwed down thereon for binding the two contacting bails firmly together and thus closing the garment.

From this detailed description of the device, it will be apparent that upon releas ing the bolts 29, the bails 27 may be readily separated and the device thus placed in its open position, and whereupon a person may readily enter the garment and thereafter close the balls 27 together and secure the nuts 30 in place upon the bolts 29 for retaining the garment in its closed position. The buoy 12 may be inflated either after or prior to donning the garment. The cup members 23 will fill with water when the personis positioned therein and this will retain the body upright while the occupant chest portion thereof, binding bails hingedly connected together at their free ends embedded within the material of which the garment is madenadjacent the edges of the said openings and provided with outwardlyopening alining slots, adjustable closure retaining means for the garment positioned within the said slots, an encircling inflatable buoy surrounding the garment adjacent the ""ist line thereof, the garment having a helmet portion provided with a breathing topics oi this may opening, a pivoted closure member for the i said opening, and a sight glass carried by the said helmet portion.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a water-proof body enveloping garment having a forward opening adjacent the chest portion thereof, binding bails hingedly connected together at their free ends embedded within the material of which the garment is made adjacent the edges of the said openings and provided with outwardly opening alining slots, adjustable closure retaining means for the garment p0- sitioned within the said slots, an encircling inflatable buoy surrounding the garment adjacent the waist line thereof, the garment having a helmet portion provided with a breathing opening, a pivoted closure memher for the said opening, a sight glass carried by the said helmet portion, resilient wrist-encircling means carried by the garment, and iipright retaining cups carried by the lower portions of the garment.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MICHAEL A. OZERKAS.

be meme for five cents each, by adaressing'the Commissioner of Eaten/ts.

Washington, D. G. 

